Tribulation is a metal band from Sweden. Their sound has varied depending on the album you’re listening to. The first two albums are more traditional death metal while their later two albums change it up to black metal and gothic rock while still maintaining a death metal sound. Tribulation released their fourth album Down Below on January 28, 2018 to positive reviews from both critics and fans alike. Tribulation finally announced a USA tour in support of their new album and fans were ecstatic to have them return since they were last here in 2016. The last time they were here, Tribulation sold out the legendary Troubadour in Los Angeles. It was only fitting that they now play a larger venue. This time, Tribulation lured their fans to the Lodge Room in Highland Park. Even on a Tuesday night, fans packed the venue in anticipation for this haunting show.

As Tribulation prepared to start the show, the stage was covered with fog from fog machines giving the stage and eerie feeling as if walking through a cemetery on a foggy night. The lights went out and fans cheered as the members of Tribulation made their way to the stage in full makeup and attire looking like corpses that had risen from their graves. The first song of choice was Lady Death from the new album. The song has a vibe that makes you wanna dance a dance of death, yet still maintained a classic death metal sound. The vocals from Johannes Andersson are a thing of haunting beauty. The second song performed was Melancholia from their previous album, The Children of the Night. One of the highlights of the band’s performance is watching guitarist Jonathan Hultén dance and prance around on stage looking like an undead ballerina. He’s always a sight to behold never missing a note while mesmerizing the audience. Other songs from the band’s macabre setlist included The Lament, Cries From the Underworld, and The World. In the middle of the show, guitarists Hultén and Adam Zaars took turns performing guitar solos to wow the audience and were often covered with fog for a more grim appearance. Nearing the end of the show, Tribulation kept to the new album and performed the gloomy and catchy Nightbound. The show had come to an end and Tribulation left the stage. The fans weren’t ready to go home just yet and chanted the band’s name. Tribulation listened and came back out for some encores. The first encore was Strange Gateways Beckon. Tribulation kept the energy up and never had a dull moment in their performance. It was time for the show to come to an end and to end it, Tribulation played Lacrimosa. The fans let out whatever remaining energy they had left. Tribulation wrapped up their show, bowed to the fans, then left the stage for the final time. Tribulation is a band enjoyed by both death metal and black metal fans and hopefully they come back soon for another living dead performance.